Game apparatus having movable target elements with angularly related wings



R. C. GAME APPARATUS HAVING WITH ANGULARLY Original Filed Nov IIIIIIIII/llb Jan. 12, 1965 ATTORNEY 7 2 W m m PO, 6 W M 6 I 1 3 1 F f 2N f 0 3 a v I I N T FIIIIIIIIII l O m M M V m m E 4 M 2 Y B AW V\EFE J6Il HEWI L m 6 H 7 8 M United States Patent 3 165 317 GAME APPARATUSIIAVlNG MGVABLE TARGET ELEMENTS WITH ANGULARLY RELATED WINGS Raymond C.Kirsch, 159 Pleasant Ave., Hamburg, NEE.

Continuation of appiication Ser. No. 69,726, Nov. 16, 1960. Thisapplication Feb. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 253,023 Claims. (Cl. 273-1021) andinexpensive character which requires for the eflicient playing of thegame a substantial degree of skill on the part of the players and alsothe use by each player of targets differentiated in appearance from thetargets of his opponent with different results dependent on theparticular position of the particular target against which the missileis thrown, the results in either instance being related to the scoringof points up to an agreed number by which the winner of the game isdetermined.

Generally stated, the structure embodies a pair of juxtaposed chambers,each of which is in operative relation to a pivotally mounted member(which, for convenience, may be called a gate) having two visuallydifferentiated wings in angular relation, each wing providing a targetand the targets being in different positions in the chamber, one targetbeing positioned to close the part of the chamber which lies behind itand within which it is movable and the other target being positioned toopen the part of the chamber within which it is movable, either targetbeing movable to either position accordingly as the target in closedposition may be hit by a missile. The pivotally mounted member is ofsubstantial V-shaped outline, each of its wings forming a leg of the V,and the missiles are of a character which will not injure the structureas thrown against the targets, the missiles preferably being beanbags.The structure also embodies sundry additional features of novelty andinvention which Will be set forth in detail as the description proceeds.

In the preferred construction herein shown the juxtaposed chambers arein upper and lower relation, one being arranged immediately above theother and the pivotally mounted members which provide the targets are,of course, similarly in upper and lower relation. Each player will beassigned a designation corresponding to a particular visualdifferentiating characteristic of the targets. For example, if one ofthe targets be white and the other black the white player must aim hismissiles at either of the white targets, one of which may be in openposition and the other in closed position, and the black player must aimhis missiles at either of the black targets which are in a similarmutual relation. Thus with one of his targets in open position and theother in closed position the player may aim at either of his targets,his toss if he successfully aims for the target in open position causinghis missile to land in the chamber and if he successfully aims for thetarget in closed position causing the movement of the target memberabout its pivot with the results of his missile landing in the chamberand the ejection from the chamber of his opponents missile.

In the drawing:

ing structure in accordance with the invention in an embodiment which,as now considered, is preferred.

FIGURE 2 is a rear perspective view of the structure shown in FIGURE 1,the rear wall of the structure and the gates being omitted for clarityof illustration.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a rear perspective view of one of the pivoted gate members,the other gate member being similar in construction.

FIGURE 5 is an elevation of a missile in the form of a beanbag, aplurality of such missiles being used by each of the players in a singlegame. i

The structural features of the invention include a portable body 1having a front wall 2, a bottom wall 3, a rear wall 4 and by preferencevertical side walls 5 and a top Wall 6. The juxtaposed chambers 7 and 8into which the missiles may be thrown are preferably in upper and lowerrelation and are delimited by upper and lower shelves 9 and 10, verticalwall-like supports 11 to which the shelves are attached at their endsand the rear wall 4. The supports 11 have flanges 12 along their frontedges and preferably along their upper edges by means of which they maybe attached to and supported by the walls 2 and 5. The front wall 2 isformed with a cer1 f tral opening 13 in communication with chambers 7and 8 and through which the missiles have access to the shelves 9 andIt).

The access of the missiles to the chambers 7 and 8 is controlled by agate'14 pivotally mounted in a corresponding chamber and of V-shapedhorizontal outline to provide angularly related target wings 15 and 16,the gates preferably having top and bottom walls 17 of substantiallytriangular outline. As mounted in the chambers 7 and 8 the gates aredistinguished from one another by the designations X and Y. Each gatehas a central vertical pivotal mounting in its chamber and where thegates are in upper and lower relation their pivotal mounting is coaxialand may be provided by a common pivot pin 18 located within the angleformed by the apex of the gate. The gates are spaced from the horizontalWalls of their chambers by washers 19 fitted externally upon the walls17 and thereby have substantially free swinging movement.

The supports 11 which provide the vertical walls of the chambers 7 and 8are suitably spaced from the vertical edges of the gates 1 thereby toavoid frictional contact, and are preferably of arcuate horizontaloutline concentric to the pivotal centers of the gates.

The swinging movements of the gates are positively limited, the rearwall 4 being preferably utilized for this purpose and the wings 15 and16 preferably having vertical marginal flanges 2%) for engagement withthe wall 4 as a stop. The stop limit position of each gate is such thatone of its wings 15 or 16 will be flush with the front wall 2 and willpartially close or occlude the chamber in which the gate is mountedwhile the companion wing 16 01' 15 will extend angularly and inwardlytoward the rear of the chamber to provide an open scoring space 21 as apart of the chamber into which a missile may be thrown to rest upon theshelf which provides the bottom of the chamber, the space 21 beingbounded by the angularly extending Wing and the adjacent support 11 andPatented Jan. 12, 1965 1 having ample peripheral extent to accommodatethe missile.

Each gate has its target wings similarly differentiated in appearance.Thus the wings 15 may be black, as suggested by the black vertical linesin FIGURE 1, and the wings 16 may be white. FIGURE 1 shows the gates ina normal relation for beginning the play of the game, the two blackwings 15 and the two white wings being preferably similarly offset. Thusin FIGURE 1 the black wing 15 and the white wing .16 of the upper gate Xare respectively at the left and right of the pivotal axis of the gate.Conversely, the white andblack wings of the lower gate Y arerespectively at theleft and right of its pivotal axis. In FIGURE 1 thewings 15 and 16 of the two gates are shown in the same relativepositions,

that is to say the wings 15 are in open positions to expose the scoringspaces 2]. and the wings 16 are in closed position. Assuming the gatesto be in the positions shown in FIGURE 1, assuming a missile, e.g abeanbag 22, to be resting upon the floor, ie the shelf 9 of the upperspace 23. at the left, as shown in FIGURE 3, and assuming further thatit is the turn of white" to throw a missile, his target will bethewhitewing 16 of the upper gate X and if this target be hit efiiciently thegate will be swung (as indicated by broken lines in FIGURE 3) to permitwhites missile to enter the scoring space 21 at the right and to causethe black wing 15 to reject his opponents missile from the scoring space21 at the left. Blacks turn to play immediately follows and black. hasthe option of throwing his missile 22 into the exposed lower scoringspace 21 or against the now closed black. wing 15 of the upper gate X.

The winner of the game will be the player who is first credited with anagreed number of scoring points, for

example, twenty-one. In playing the game each player starts with anagreed number of missiles, for example, four, and stands at an agreeddistance from the structure, for example, ten feet. The playersalternate in throwing their missiles and when each player has thrown hisfour missiles what may be called an inning has been played and the scoreat the end of that inning is noted. For

example, after play for an inning black may have one scoring point witha missile remaining in his assigned scoring space 21 and Wlnte may havetwo scoring points with two missiles remaining in his assigned scoringspace 21. These scoring points having been noted at the end, say of thefirst inning, play is resumed in like manner and the scoring pointsnoted at the end of each inning, the number of innings of coursedepending on the number required for one of the players as the winner ofthe game to be credited with an agreed number of scoring points. Asabove pointed out, once the play of the game is under way a player oneach throw has the option of throwing his missile directly into hisassigned scoring space 21 or of throwing it against his assignedtargetwing in its closed position, thereby to deposit his missile in hisassigned scoring space and at the same time eject his opponents missile.

The missiles may be stored in any convenient receptacle. However, it ispreferred and in accordance with the invention to include the missilestorage space in the game playing structure. For this purpose a shelf 23similar to the shelves 9 and 16 may be positioned above the shelf 9 andsecured to the supports 11., the shelf 23, the supports 11 and the topwall 6 delimiting a missile storage space 24. The top wall 6 may beprovided with a suitable opening, prefm'ably a relatively large slot 25,through which a player may insert his hand in order to remove themissiles from the storage space 24 or to replace them, the slot 25 alsoproviding a hand grip by means of which the structure may be carriedfrom place to place.

I claim:

1. For use in combination with a missile tossed by hand a game playingstructure comprising a body having a vertical-front wall, rearwardly andinwardly inclined vertical supports mounted behind the frontwall, ahorizontal shelf extending between and secured to the supports, thefront wall having an opening in communication with the space above theshelf, a gate of V-shaped outline having its apex extending verticallyand supported by and upon the shelf, a vertical pivot pin for the gatearranged adjacent the apex and about which .the gate may have swingingmovement, the gate by reason of its V-shaped outline providing a pair ofangularlyv related wings, either of which may serve as a target againstwhich a missile may be tossed, and means for limiting the swingingmovement of the gate to either of two positions in'which one of thewings provides the target and is located within the front wall openingin substantially fiush relation to the front wall and the other wingextends'laterally and rearwardly and incomhinatiion with the adjacentvertical support provides a scoring space into which a missile may bethrown through the opening in the front wall for support upon the shelf.7

2. A game playing structure as set forth inclaim 1 wherein the two wingsof the gate are, differentiated from one another in respect toappearance. Y I Y 3. A game playing structure as set forth in claim 1wherein the means for limitin'gthe swinging movement of the gatecomprises a back wall against which either wing may abut as a stop.

4. A game playing structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein each wing isprovided with a marginal vertical flange for abutting engagement withthe back wall as a stop, the flange being in spaced relation to theadjacent vertical support.

.5. A game playing structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the gatehas upper and lower walls and a washer is mounted upon the pivotpinbelow the lower wall to space the gate from the shelf.

6. For use in combination with a missile tossed by hand a game playingstructure comprising a body having a vertical front wall, rearwardly andinwardly inclined vertical supports mounted behind the front wall, upperand lower spaced horizontal shelves extending between and secured to thesupports, the front wall having an opening in communication with thespaces above the shelves, a gate of V-shaped outline having its apexextending vertically and supported by and upon each shelf, a verticalpivot pin for each gate arranged adjacent the'apex and about which theassociated gate may have swinging movement, the gates thereby beingpivoted coax ally, each gate by reason of its V-shaped outline providinga pair of angularly related wings, either of which may serve as a targetagainst which a missile may be tossed, means'for' limiting the swingingmovement of each gate to either of two positions in which one of thewings provides the target and is located within the front wall openingin substantially flush relation to the front wall and the other wingextends laterally and rearwardly and in combination with the adjacentvertical support provides a scoring space into which a missile maybetossed through the opening in the front wall for support upon the shelf,the two having their wings similarly differentiated from one another inrespect to appearance. i

7. A game'playing structure as set forth in claim 6 wherein in the twogates the wings of similar appearance are arranged at opposite sides ofthe common pivotal axis. 8. A gameplaying structure as set forth inclaim 1 wherein a horizontal shelf is arranged above and in spacedrelation to the shelf first named, extends between and is secured to thesupports, and in combination with the supports delimits a chamber inwhich missiles may be stored.

9. A game playing structure as set forth-in claim 8 which has an upperwall from which the vertical supports extend and which is formed withanopening in communication with the missile storage chamber through whichthe missiles may be removed and replaced.

10. A game playing structure as set forth in claim 6 relation to theupper shelf, extends between and is secured to the supports, and incombination with the supports delimits a chamber in which missiles maybe stored, and an upper wall is provided from which the verticalsupports extend and which is formed with an opening in communicationwith the missile storage chamber through which the missiles may beremoved and replaced.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED, STATES PATENTSNelson Oct. 4, 1910 Kaiser Nov. 28, 1922 Stephenson Apr. 29, 1924Knippei Feb. 16, 1932 Barber et a1 Oct. 25, 1960

1. FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH A MISSILE TOSSED BY HAND A GAME PLAYINGSTRUCTURE COMPRISING A BODY HAVING A VERTICAL FRONT WALL, REARWARDLY ANDINWARDLY INCLINED VERTICAL SUPPORTS MOUNTED BEHIND THE FRONT WALL, AHORIZONTAL SHELF EXTENDING BETWEEN AND SECURED TO THE SUPPORTS, THEFRONT WALL HAVING AN OPENING IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE SPACE ABOVE THESHELF, A GATE OF V-SHAPED OUTLINE HAVING ITS APEX EXTENDING VERTICALLYAND SUPPORTED BY AND UPON THE SHELF, A VERTICAL PIVOT PIN FOR THE GATEARRANGED ADJACENT THE APEX AND ABOUT WHICH THE GATE MAY HAVE SWINGINGMOVEMENT, THE GATE BY REASON OF ITS V-SHAPED OUTLINE PROVIDING A PAIR OFANGULARLY RELATED WINGS, EITHER OF WHICH MAY SERVE AS A TARGET AGAINSTWHICH A MISSILE MAY BE TOSSED, AND MEANS FOR LIMITING THE SWINGINGMOVEMENT OF THE GATE OF EITHER OF TWO POSITIONS IN WHICH ONE OF THEWINGS PROVIDES THE TARGET AND IS LOCATED WITHIN THE FRONT WALL OPENINGIN SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH RELATION TO THE FRONT WALL AND THE OTHER WINGEXTENDS LATERALLY AND REARWARDLY AND IN COMBINATION WITH THE ADJACENTVERTICAL SUPPORT PROVIDES A SCORING SPACE INTO WHICH A MISSILE MAY BETHROWN THROUGH THE OPENING IN THE FRONT WALL FOR SUPPORT UPON THE SHELF.